Meditation 29
The First Five Letters of the Spiritual Alphabet
The conflagrant fire
on the altar's griddle was a prefiguration of the fire of the Holy
Spirit in human hearts in the New Covenant and no other fire was
approved otherwise than in accordance with God's holy decrees,
Far too often we here presumptuous souls maintain that this applied only for the children of the Old Covenant, but the frauds of Ananias and Sapphire gives us answer regarding the nature of such a misconception (Ac 5. 1-11). It was this fire which our Lord and Redeemer came to enkindle on earth in human hearts,
It is this holy fire which the altar of burnt offerings proclaims, the fire of His baptism “in Holy Spirit and fire” (Lk 3. 16). It is this holy fire which reveals God's holiness in a human soul and thus she will discern His glory. Thus all depends on the souls disposition to receive the sacrament not feignedly or falsely as thus it doesn't enkindle the grace and the love of the charity in the soul in question. As was mentioned above the sacrament is an intentional sign manifesting God's intention to give the soul spiritual favors in the live of grace. The soul must thus submit to God's will and thus she must take this first course in the “Prayer School of the Holy Spirit” here at the altar.
In this context the griddle of the altar and its conflagrant fire gives us a precious message. In this place the soul is obliged to place her sensual ego as a sacrifice on the griddle to be consumed in the flames of the fire which is nothing but the first purification of the sensuous ego in sanctifying grace. It is to this fact which is referred above in the Tabernacle prayer, “that we put the wood of our sensuous disposition on the griddle of the altar and enkindle the fire of the prayer in our growing participation in Christ like humility!” The Sanctuary is as has been said above the Recycling Plant of the Holy Spirit and here in the courtyard all sensuous disposition is so to say “recycled” by burning the “garbage” of the soul's sensuous greediness, literally speaking let it go through the fire,
It is this fire which blazes on the griddle of the altar which will gradually burn the wood, hey and straw of all sensuous disposition in the soul (see 1 Cor 3. 11-13). This is always the nature of a fire: it penetrates everything, consumes and transforms to its own nature and thus the soul will gradually be purified. This is the fire of God – the Holy spirit – a living God who reveals Himself in purifying fire forming new habits in the soul and is foundation of her holy actions, or by the words of Simeon the New Theologian,
It is this truth which the first 5 letters of the spiritual alphabet refer to revealing God's intentional plan in the live of grace. The first 5 letters refers to God's works in the soul.
(A) The horns of the altar. The four horns reveal the power of the glory or qeren in Hebrew in the live of grace which is derived from the word horn or qaren. The four horns refers to the fourfold power of the Tetramorph as discussed above – the power of the Holy Name. Here in the courtyard it will work as a sensuous purification in order to make the soul attain to the stage of the infused prayer in the Holy as will be realized fully by the bronze laver.
(B) The ledge. They named the ledge karkov in Hebrew which refers to the crown of life which such souls receive who open their hearts in order to follow the precepts of the divine predestination in this Sanctuary, “Even if you have to die, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life for your prize” (Rv 2. 10). This sustains still further God's intentional plan in order to lead the soul to the glory of the Royal Image where it carries this crown revealed by the turban of the high priest, a token of life. It is thus of divine origin and token of the Christification.
(C) The Shafts. It is David which reveals the mystery concealed in these shafts in the 23. psalm, “Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me” (v. 4). These shafts were placed on both sides of the altar, “He passed the shafts through the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it” (Ex 38.7). Even when the soul is obliged to walk in trials, temptations and sufferings in a ravine as dark as death she should not fear because God protects her by the power of this staff and crook. She walks the Sacred Way of the Tabernacle of the Heart in complete security and all her sufferings are just token of God's unfathomable love. They refers to the two wings of divine mercy concealed in the power of the Holy Name already revealed on the curtain at the entrance (Med. 24)
(D) The rings. They were four, “He casts four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating to take the shafts” (Ex 38. 5). The rings refer to the four stages of the soul's assimilation to Christ who has become “wisdom from God, and saving justice and holiness and redemption” (1 Cor 1. 30). Along with the three first virtues as represented by the three jewels of the Holy Trinity they form gradually the twelve jewels of the breastplate as a token of the purity of the heart (3 + 4 + 5). The numeral 5 refers to the live of grace as it streams from the center of the Tetramorph.
(E) The Grating or the bronze network. It covered the sides of the altar below the ledge and was made of the fire pans of Korah and his companions who revolted against Moses and the priestly order, “Since they were brought before Yahweh [the fire pans] and thus became consecrated, they must be hammered into sheets to cover the altar. They will be an object lesson for the Israelites" (Nb 16. 38). They are also an object lesson for all souls of the Royal Priesthood of the New Covenant. The disobedience regarding God's predestination puts the soul in mortal danger. It can only fly above the disastrous sea of Satan's cunnings in this northern quarter on the wings of love.
Aaron's sons, Nadab
and Abihu each took a censer, put fire on it and incense on the fire,
and presented unauthorized fire before Yahweh, which was not in
accordance with his orders. At this a flame leapt out from Yahweh's
presence and swallowed them up, and they perished before Yahweh. Moses
then said to Aaron, “That is what Yahweh meant when he said: In those
who are close to me I show my holiness, and before all the people I
show my glory“ (Lv 10. 1-3).
Far too often we here presumptuous souls maintain that this applied only for the children of the Old Covenant, but the frauds of Ananias and Sapphire gives us answer regarding the nature of such a misconception (Ac 5. 1-11). It was this fire which our Lord and Redeemer came to enkindle on earth in human hearts,
I have come to bring
fire on earth, and how I wish it were blazing already (Lk 12. 49).
It is this holy fire which the altar of burnt offerings proclaims, the fire of His baptism “in Holy Spirit and fire” (Lk 3. 16). It is this holy fire which reveals God's holiness in a human soul and thus she will discern His glory. Thus all depends on the souls disposition to receive the sacrament not feignedly or falsely as thus it doesn't enkindle the grace and the love of the charity in the soul in question. As was mentioned above the sacrament is an intentional sign manifesting God's intention to give the soul spiritual favors in the live of grace. The soul must thus submit to God's will and thus she must take this first course in the “Prayer School of the Holy Spirit” here at the altar.
In this context the griddle of the altar and its conflagrant fire gives us a precious message. In this place the soul is obliged to place her sensual ego as a sacrifice on the griddle to be consumed in the flames of the fire which is nothing but the first purification of the sensuous ego in sanctifying grace. It is to this fact which is referred above in the Tabernacle prayer, “that we put the wood of our sensuous disposition on the griddle of the altar and enkindle the fire of the prayer in our growing participation in Christ like humility!” The Sanctuary is as has been said above the Recycling Plant of the Holy Spirit and here in the courtyard all sensuous disposition is so to say “recycled” by burning the “garbage” of the soul's sensuous greediness, literally speaking let it go through the fire,
The Day which dawns
in fire will make it clear and the fire itself will test the quality of
each person works (1 Cor 3. 12, 13).
It is this fire which blazes on the griddle of the altar which will gradually burn the wood, hey and straw of all sensuous disposition in the soul (see 1 Cor 3. 11-13). This is always the nature of a fire: it penetrates everything, consumes and transforms to its own nature and thus the soul will gradually be purified. This is the fire of God – the Holy spirit – a living God who reveals Himself in purifying fire forming new habits in the soul and is foundation of her holy actions, or by the words of Simeon the New Theologian,
As a blacksmith can
do nothing without the help of fire, however skilled he may be in
wielding his tools, so a man should do everything he can on his side to
purify his heart, using virtues as tools for this purpose; but without
the Spirit, everything he does will remain inactive and useless for his
aim, for by itself what he does is powerless to cleanse the soul of its
dirt and foulness. [1]
It is this truth which the first 5 letters of the spiritual alphabet refer to revealing God's intentional plan in the live of grace. The first 5 letters refers to God's works in the soul.
(A) The horns of the altar. The four horns reveal the power of the glory or qeren in Hebrew in the live of grace which is derived from the word horn or qaren. The four horns refers to the fourfold power of the Tetramorph as discussed above – the power of the Holy Name. Here in the courtyard it will work as a sensuous purification in order to make the soul attain to the stage of the infused prayer in the Holy as will be realized fully by the bronze laver.
(B) The ledge. They named the ledge karkov in Hebrew which refers to the crown of life which such souls receive who open their hearts in order to follow the precepts of the divine predestination in this Sanctuary, “Even if you have to die, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life for your prize” (Rv 2. 10). This sustains still further God's intentional plan in order to lead the soul to the glory of the Royal Image where it carries this crown revealed by the turban of the high priest, a token of life. It is thus of divine origin and token of the Christification.
(C) The Shafts. It is David which reveals the mystery concealed in these shafts in the 23. psalm, “Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me” (v. 4). These shafts were placed on both sides of the altar, “He passed the shafts through the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it” (Ex 38.7). Even when the soul is obliged to walk in trials, temptations and sufferings in a ravine as dark as death she should not fear because God protects her by the power of this staff and crook. She walks the Sacred Way of the Tabernacle of the Heart in complete security and all her sufferings are just token of God's unfathomable love. They refers to the two wings of divine mercy concealed in the power of the Holy Name already revealed on the curtain at the entrance (Med. 24)
(D) The rings. They were four, “He casts four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating to take the shafts” (Ex 38. 5). The rings refer to the four stages of the soul's assimilation to Christ who has become “wisdom from God, and saving justice and holiness and redemption” (1 Cor 1. 30). Along with the three first virtues as represented by the three jewels of the Holy Trinity they form gradually the twelve jewels of the breastplate as a token of the purity of the heart (3 + 4 + 5). The numeral 5 refers to the live of grace as it streams from the center of the Tetramorph.
(E) The Grating or the bronze network. It covered the sides of the altar below the ledge and was made of the fire pans of Korah and his companions who revolted against Moses and the priestly order, “Since they were brought before Yahweh [the fire pans] and thus became consecrated, they must be hammered into sheets to cover the altar. They will be an object lesson for the Israelites" (Nb 16. 38). They are also an object lesson for all souls of the Royal Priesthood of the New Covenant. The disobedience regarding God's predestination puts the soul in mortal danger. It can only fly above the disastrous sea of Satan's cunnings in this northern quarter on the wings of love.
[1].
Philokalia, On the Prayer of the
Heart, pp. 115-116.